For a while, it seemed like the number of Republican officials caught up in various scandals -- some ethical, some criminal, some just ugly -- was growing at an alarming clip. Over the course of a several weeks, controversies of varying degrees of seriousness surrounded Chris Christie, Bob McDonnell, Trey Radel, Michael Grimm, Scott Walker, Pat McCrory, and others.

Charlotte Mayor Patrick Cannon was arrested Wednesday on federal public corruption laws after a four-year investigation, the U.S. Attorney's Office in Charlotte announced.

Cannon was charged with theft and bribery after an FBI sting operation, said Anne Tompkins, U.S. attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.

FBI agents, working on a tip that Cannon, 47, was potentially involved in illegal activities, started an investigation in August 2010, Tompkins said in a statement.

Cannon, just five months into his term after 20 years on the Charlotte City Council, is accused of soliciting and accepting bribes from undercover FBI agents. A copy of the Justice Department's allegations is available online here (pdf).

Full video: President Barack Obama delivers his State of the Union address, touching on income inequality, job creation, immigration reform, climate change, the Affordable Care Act, Iran, education, caring for veterans, and much more. read more